City comparison
Austin, TX vs Baltimore, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 6.5% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $106,500 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,511 in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.3% moving from Austin, TX to Baltimore, MD ($109,428 → $121,785), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Baltimore, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 104.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,548 in Baltimore | $93,855 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,511/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $59,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Baltimore |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 118.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 102.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 110.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.5 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 104.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
50 Fair offer
Baltimore, MD → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Baltimore, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Baltimore, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Baltimore, MD | Real change, Austin → Baltimore |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $70,623 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $85,447 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $102,415 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $121,785 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $143,913 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $76,400 | $71,705 (+17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $138,900 | $130,364 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $85,160 | $79,927 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $99,550 | $93,432 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.